KZN Finance MEC Delivers Second Adjustment Budget

By: Lindelani Mbatha

KwaZulu-Natal Finance MEC  NomusaDube-Ncube says the impact of Covid-19 was felt severely, particularly during the second quarter of 2020.

Dube Ncube is tabling the 2020/21 Second Adjustments Budget in the KZN Provincial Legislature.

The largest negative contributors to the provincial economic growth in the second quarter is mining which contracted by 75.5%.

Dube Ncube says worse than expected economic performance and outlook resulting from the negative impact Covid-19 has also hampered tax revenue collection.

Provincial Treasury has allocated more than R120 million to the department of Agriculture and Rural Development to continue with their community outreach programmes.

The money will go towards the One-Home-One Garden Programme and communal beef improvement and the goat strategy, which are expected to contribute towards poverty eradication.

A further R1.4 billion has been allocated to the department of education, which will be used to employ education assistants at schools and also help to create jobs through public and social employment.

Last month, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that government will provide 300 000 opportunities for young people … to be employed as assistants at schools … as part of the government’s job-led recovery plan.

The national government has committed more than R100 billion over the next three years for the programme.

Dube Ncube elaborates,